The Emerald Tablet

Regarded by European alchemists as the foundation of their craft, the Emerald Tablet is a short, cryptic text that purportedly reveals the secret of the primordial substance and its transmutations. Even esteemed scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton have published translations of the text, which claims Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary sage or god variously identified with the Egyptian god Thoth and the Greek god Hermes, as its author. What is the oldest documentable source for this text? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Operation Sunshine: First Crossing of a Submerged Vessel at North Pole (1958)

The USS Nautilus was the world’s first operational nuclear-powered submarine. In 1958, the Nautilus embarked on Operation Sunshine, during which it completed the first submerged journey across the North Pole, resurfacing northeast of Greenland 96 hours later. During the mission, deep ice in the area of the Chukchi Sea forced the Nautilus to turn back temporarily. In the event that the submarine became trapped in ice, what dramatic action did its commander plan to take? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Festival Interceltique

Created in 1971, the Festival Interceltique (Interceltic Festival) brings together traditional and contemporary expressions of Celtic culture and arts. Approximately 4,500 singers, instrumentalists, visual artists, dancers, professors, and filmmakers from the traditionally Celtic lands take part in the event, including Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Galicia (Spain), Asturias (Spain), and Brittany (France). The festival takes place in Lorient, a town in Brittany, from the first Friday in August and until the second Sunday of August. About 350,000 spectators attend the festival annually. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Regina Jonas (1902)

After being denied ordination at least once, German Jewess Regina Jonas finally found a rabbi willing to defy convention and make her, in 1935, the first ordained woman rabbi. A victim of the Holocaust, Jonas’s story went forgotten for many years, only coming to light when some of her writings, including a document titled “Lectures of the One and Only Woman Rabbi, Regina Jonas,” were rediscovered long after her death at the hands of the Nazis. Where was she when she delivered these lectures? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Opium Dens

Opium dens, establishments where opium is sold and smoked, were especially popular in the 19th century, particularly in China, Southeast Asia, France, and North America. Chinese immigrants hired to build the transcontinental railroad during the California gold rush brought the practice of smoking opium to the US. There, opium dens operated unhindered until an epidemic of opiate addiction in the late 1800s forced them underground. When was New York City’s last opium den reportedly shut down? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964)

While on patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin, the USS Maddox was attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Two days later, US boats were supposedly attacked again without provocation. These events—known collectively as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident—prompted US Congress to pass a resolution allowing President Lyndon B. Johnson to use military force in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war, leading to increased US involvement in the Vietnam War. Had there in fact been a second attack? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary